Gunbuster, known in Japan as Aim for the Top! , is a Japanese OVA anime series produced by Gainax released from 1988 to 1989. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the creator and director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace! and hit action drama film Top Gun, whose plot inspired Gunbuster's. To celebrate Gainax's 20th anniversary in 2004, an official sequel to Gunbuster, Diebuster, was released as an OVA. The sequel features new characters and mecha, but retains the format and many of the concepts of the original series.
